Manhunt update: Fugitive defeated restraints at hospital; search goes on in Roseville, Rocklin
More than 24 hours have passed since Eric Abril, the man charged in connection with an April hostage standoff that killed one and wounded two, escaped his hospital room in Roseville, prompting a manhunt across east Roseville and Rocklin that continued Monday.
Eric James Abril, 35, had been in custody by Placer County sheriff’s officials since April on charges of murder and attempted murder but escaped from Sutter Roseville Medical Center after being taken there Thursday from the Auburn jail for seizures.
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Monday that it has investigated 64 tips since the manhunt began about 3:30 a.m. Sunday.
“Today, we continue to saturate and focus on the eastern Roseville and Rocklin areas as the most reliable source of evidence points to Rainier Court in Rocklin as the last known location for Abril,” the statement said.
Deputy guarding Abril wasn’t asleep
The Sheriff’s Office on Monday also addressed questions about the guard who was tasked with watching Abril in the hospital room.
“Our preliminary investigation reveals the deputy was not asleep during the incident,” deputies said in the statement, which was posted on social media.
An internal investigation has begun to determine what occurred leading up to Abril’s escape, and this investigation confirmed, at some point, that Abril “was able to defeat his restraints,” sheriff’s officials said.
Sheriff Wayne Woo was asked about the possibility that the guard had fallen asleep but told The Sacramento Bee in an interview following Sunday’s media briefing that officials had no information to corroborate that.
“There is no evidence of that,” Woo said. “There is an ongoing investigation and we’re really focusing on getting (Abril) back into custody.”
“I’m concerned with the fact that this occurred, obviously,” Woo added. “And we’ll be doing a full investigation when the time is right.”
In response to a Bee query about the deputy, Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Angela Musallam said the deputy was assigned to the corrections division and remains on the job: “He is still assigned to the corrections division — an internal investigation has been initiated.”
The Sheriff’s Office said Monday it had “begun conducting a thorough review of all corrections policies and procedures regarding inmate transportation and inmate supervision and security when it is necessary for inmates to be transported or housed outside our correctional facilities.”
Officials also said they are taking “every measure necessary” to ensure an escape does not happen again.
Agencies helping in the search
Law enforcement agencies across the Sacramento region were searching for him Sunday. The agencies included: the Placer County Sheriff’s Office, Roseville Police Department, Folsom Police Department, Lincoln Police Department, El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, Grass Valley Police Department, Truckee Police Department, Yolo County Sheriff’s Office, Woodland Police Department, Davis Police Department, West Sacramento Police Department and the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Placer County sheriff’s officials said those agencies actively saturated east Roseville and parts of Rocklin overnight, along with a 24-hour air surveillance provision.
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office said the manhunt continues with FBI agents, U.S. Marshals, Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, Sacramento Police Department, Elk Grove Police Department, Lincoln Police Department and several other law enforcement agencies.
“Our primary focus remains on utilizing every resource available to us to locate and bring Abril back into custody,” sheriff’s officials said.
Law enforcement asks residents of the area to remain vigilant and review their surveillance footage. Tips can be given to the Sheriff’s Office at 916-409-1257 or online at bit.ly/pcso-abril-manhunt-tips to report Abril or other suspicious activity related to the manhunt.
As of Sunday afternoon, authorities were focused on a neighborhood more than a mile north of the hospital in Rocklin. A helicopter circled above and alerted residents of their search for Abril, who was described as a 6-foot, 175-pound white male with brown hair. The area was searched again overnight after heat signatures were located along Secret Ravine, a creek that runs parallel to Interstate 80.
